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Announcements

Changes to the federal rule governing human research (Common Rule) were announced on January 18, 2017. Many of the Common Rule changes go into effect January 21, 2019.

The changes to the Common Rule do not apply to FDA-regulated studies.

ORIC is working to roll out these changes at ECU. The announcements section of the ORIC > UMCIRB webpage and the ePIRATE homepage will be your main source of information and updates about the revised Common Rule roll out.

Studies submitted on or after January 21, 2019 will be reviewed under the revised Common Rule. Currently approved studies will continue to fall under the pre-2018 Common Rule requirements.

East Carolina University is co-sponsoring an OHRP (Office for Human Research Protections) Research Community Forum titled "Community Engagement: Current Challenges and New Directions". The Forum will be held September 25-26, 2018 in Greenville, NC. The workshop day will feature interactive presentations on applying the HHS regulations, with a focus on the revised Common Rule. The conference day will focus on thought-provoking topics related to community engagement, and include breakout sessions on research with vulnerable populations and the role of patient advocates. Check out the agenda and view the full program!

NIH Grant Recipients: A new NIH Human Subjects System (HSS) will replace the current NIH Inclusion Management System (IMS) for the reporting of data about human subjects and clinical trials. NIH will launch this new system on June 9, 2018 and it will be available within the eRA Commons site. More information can be found here.

Effective October 1, 2017, the NIH began automatically issuing CoCs to all ongoing or new research funded by the NIH as of December 13, 2016 that is collecting or using identifiable, sensitive information. NIH awardees no longer have to apply for a CoC. Language to include in consent documents have been added to the consent templates on the UMCIRB's website. More information about CoCs can be found on the NIH website.

Parent Permission Form Template: No More than Minimal Risk Research v. 02.05.18

Please begin using these templates immediately and discard any old templates you may have stored on your desktop.

The revisions involve primarily changes to Vidant Health contact information and minor grammatical/editorial changes as needed. These revised templates can be found on our website as well as in ePIRATE.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Policy on the use of a single Institutional Review Board (sIRB) of record for multi-site research became effective January 25, 2018. This policy establishes the expectation that all sites participating in multi-site studies involving non-exempt human subjects research funded by the NIH will use a single Institutional Review Board (sIRB) to conduct the ethical review required by the Department of Health and Human Services regulations for the Protection of Human Subjects. This policy applies to the domestic sites of NIH-funded multi-site studies where each site will conduct the same protocol involving non-exempt human subjects research, whether supported through grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, or the NIH Intramural Research Program. It does not apply to career development, research training or fellowship awards.

This policy applies to domestic awardees and participating domestic sites. Foreign sites participating in NIH-funded, multi-site studies will not be expected to follow this policy.

Investigators are encouraged to consult with the Office of Research Integrity and Compliance (ORIC) prior to including an sIRB plan in their application if they have questions about whether or not ECU should cede IRB review to another IRB or assume the responsibility of being the IRB of record (Reviewing IRB).

You may review the NIH posting regarding sIRB review by clicking here.

If you have additional questions about the sIRB review process or IRB reliance agreements, please call the ORIC at 252-744-2914, or email your question to umcirb@ecu.edu.

The revisions to the Common Rule go into effect January 21, 2019 and UMCIRB will begin reviewing new studies under the revised Common Rule on that date.

New document templates will be posted on both the UMCIRB website and within ePIRATE. Be sure to use these new templates for any new research studies submitted on or after 01.21.19.

Revised SOPs will be posted on the UMCIRB website.

Existing expedited studies approved prior to January 21, 2019 will continue to follow pre-2018 requirements including required renewal at least annually. Upon request by the investigator and after discussion with ORIC, an existing study may be revised to meet the new federal requirements. An amendment would need to be submitted and approved within the electronic IRB submission system to document this transition.

Keep our website and the ePIRATE homepage checked for continuing and updated information.

Contact UMCIRB with any questions. You are welcome to email us at UMCIRB@ecu.edu.

Remember, the revised Common Rule does not apply to FDA-regulated studies.

Welcome to the ORIC - UMCIRB

This website contains the information you need to submit your human research for review and approval by the University & Medical Center Institutional Review Board (UMCIRB).

The primary function of the UMCIRB is to protect the rights and welfare of human participants in research at East Carolina University, Vidant Medical Center and its affiliates, and in research conducted elsewhere by faculty, students, staff or other representatives of the University in connection with their responsibilities or education. This mission is accomplished by an institutional commitment to education and establishment of a collaborative relationship with the researchers and key support staff.

The information you will find on this website includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Access to the electronic IRB submission system known as ePIRATE;

UMCIRB Standard Operating Practices;

Institutional training requirements for persons involved in the conduct of human research;

Links to CITI training, ePIRATE training and other training applicable to human research;